The bleak, table-like Moon Plain on the road between Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta is a surreal place. The earth here has an oddly crusty, fractured surface: if it's been raining, you'll need a 4WD (and often even if it hasn't).
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
19.16 MILES
Check out this amazing leftover prop from the film Pitch Black, which has crash-landed on Hutchison St (a minor Millennium Falcon?). Intricate, creative,…
18.95 MILES
This interesting warren of tunnels was mined in 1916, and then hidden by the miners. The mine was rediscovered in 1968 when excavations for a dugout home…
19.71 MILES
As seen in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, this wildly eccentric underground abode was once home to Arvid Blumenthal, a Latvian-born runaway (quite possibly a…
Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park
12.21 MILES
The Breakaways Reserve is a stark but colourful area of arid hills, mesas and scarps 32km north from Coober Pedy along a rough road − turn off the highway…
19.14 MILES
For a terrific introduction to Coober Pedy – including history, fossils, desert habitats, Aboriginal culture, ecology and mining – take a wander through…
20.42 MILES
The best place to check out a working excavation is Tom's, 2km southwest of town: miners continue their search for the big vein; visitors noodle for small…
18.99 MILES
Faye’s was hand dug by three women in the 1960s – an exercise in persistence, to say the least. It's now a time-warp museum and a window into life in…
18.91 MILES
This is the town's largest and most impressive underground church, with intricate rock-wall carvings and a gorgeous vaulted ceiling. It's about 3km east…
Nearby attractions
1. Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park
12.21 MILES
The Breakaways Reserve is a stark but colourful area of arid hills, mesas and scarps 32km north from Coober Pedy along a rough road − turn off the highway…
18.57 MILES
A simple, compact bunker with rows of chairs and remote sermons beamed onto a big screen. Pull up a pew and contemplate your misdoings.
18.91 MILES
This is the town's largest and most impressive underground church, with intricate rock-wall carvings and a gorgeous vaulted ceiling. It's about 3km east…
18.95 MILES
This interesting warren of tunnels was mined in 1916, and then hidden by the miners. The mine was rediscovered in 1968 when excavations for a dugout home…
18.99 MILES
Faye’s was hand dug by three women in the 1960s – an exercise in persistence, to say the least. It's now a time-warp museum and a window into life in…
19.02 MILES
You can't miss the Big Winch with its big dangling bucket, from which there are sweeping views over the Coober Pedy rooftops. A planned 'world-class…
19.14 MILES
For a terrific introduction to Coober Pedy – including history, fossils, desert habitats, Aboriginal culture, ecology and mining – take a wander through…
19.16 MILES
Check out this amazing leftover prop from the film Pitch Black, which has crash-landed on Hutchison St (a minor Millennium Falcon?). Intricate, creative,…